Val Thomas
Business & Digital Transformation
About
With over two decades of CIO experience across public companies, private enterprises, and startups, I bring strategic judgment and a governance-focused perspective to boards navigating AI adoption, digital transformation, and enterprise risk. I have advised boards on AI governance, cybersecurity posture, capital…
Val has held senior executive roles with significant operational and strategic responsibility. As SVP and CIO at Lincoln Educational Services, he reported to the CEO with full P&L accountability and regularly advised the Board on technology strategy, cybersecurity, and AI governance. At Liberty Travel, he managed a $45M IT budget and led 270 professionals, modernizing infrastructure across 250 locations supporting $3B in revenue. Earlier, as CIO/CTO at Overpeer, he built a platform serving 250 million monthly users and supported a successful acquisition by Loudeye/Nokia.
He consistently delivers measurable impact at the intersection of technology and business performance. At Lincoln Tech, he pioneered AI governance, maintained zero SOX audit findings, reduced phishing rates below 5%, and implemented Salesforce CRM to increase admissions by 7%. At Liberty Travel, he drove over $10M in annual savings while helping position the company for acquisition. Val is known for transforming technology organizations, leading complex M&A integrations, and building secure, scalable platforms that support growth and strong governance.